Why do some things explode instead of simply burn?
In: Chemistry
Some items burn much faster than others. Let’s take wood and gunpowder
You have the same amount of each
You set fire to the wood, it burns slowly and takes maybe an hour to fully combust
Meanwhile the same amount gun powder burns incredibly quickly, in a matter of milliseconds
This means roughly the same amount of energy is released in a much shorter time frame making it appear much more violent. And with such a fast release of energy, you get a pressure wave of air that is one of the more damaging parts of an explosion
(Disclaimer, it’s different quantities of energy stored in each, but that’s to do with chemical composition and reaction rates of certain chemicals. Wood has alot more junk in it, some of which doesnt burn)
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